Betty Jo Hilger Biography

Betty Jo Hilger is the mother of two special boys, one by birth, and the other through adoption. Both her children have serious mental health needs resulting in many difficulties parenting, educating, and learning to love...

Her youngest son joined her family just before he turned four years old and is a treasure. He suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Bipolar disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (nos) , and has an IQ of 53. Her oldest son has been a delight since the day he was born. He was officially diagnosed with Schizophrenia, paranoid type, at age 16, was hospitalized shortly thereafter, and has since attained a relatively stable state. This hospitalization was the impetus which propelled her to publish her writing for the first time.

Betty Jo has written poetry, off and on, since age eleven. Over the years, most of her writing has focused on children, parenting, and faith. Her faith in Jesus christ has been the rock on which she has found the ability to meet the challenges ofday to day live and deal with the special issues parenting mentally ill children requires. As her oldest son was hospitalized in Spring of 2004, she found her pen once more, after many years of sparodic writing. It is her hope and prayer that anyone reading her work is able to find peace and hope, that no matter how dark things may seem, they will rest assured that there is a reason to go on, and there is purpose and meaning in love.